Hideki Matsui

New York Yankee Legends: “Godzilla” was a Yankee, Hideki Matsui

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Hideki Matsui

Hideki Matsui was a huge star for the New York Yankees and just as big a deal in Japan, even after he became a Yankee. The Japanese media followed him everywhere the Yankees traveled too. During the 2009 World Series, he hit .615 and was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.

Hideki Matsui was born on June 12, 1974, in Nagari, Ishikawa Japan. As a young boy, Hideki would play baseball with his brother and his friends. Hideki was a right-hand hitter, but playing with the older kids, he had one problem, he would hit the ball so well that his embarrassed older Brother demanded that he hit left-handed, or he wouldn’t let him play with them anymore. So, Hideki wanting to play switched to hit left-handed. Little did his brother know but eventually Hideki would hit so well left-handed that forty-four years later, he would be inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

During his high school years, he attended Seiryo High School in Kanazawa. While there, he took part in four national high school tournaments. Due to his hitting ability, in a game in 1992, he was intentionally walked. This was considered to be unsportsmanlike, however, Matsui took it in a stoic-like manner, but it did cause his team to lose the game. This would be a trait that would serve Matsui well in his years with the Yomiuri Giants, who would draft him in 1994.

In the professional league Matsui didn’t fair all that well in his first three years, but that would be the last time in pro his career that he would not be a baseball star. His break-out season came in 1996 when he batted .314 with 38 home runs, and 99 RBI’s. Matsui would go on to be Japan’s best playing baseball star for the next five years, earning him the nickname “Godzilla”. In 2001 with his contract ended the Yomiuri Giants would offer him a six-year contract, valued at $64 million, but Matsui would refuse. Matsui tested the international market and signed with the New York Yankees in December 2002. Matsui being a Japanese sports hero was afforded a fan cheering parade to celebrate the signing into the Major Leagues.

At the Yankee home opener, at Yankee Stadium, Matsui would hit a Grand Slam, the first player ever to hit a Grand Slam in his first appearance. He would go on to hit .287 with 106 RBI’s but he would also commit the highest number of errors (8) in the American League. Nonetheless he became a Yankee favorite. In the post-season, he became the first Japanese player to ever hit a home run in a World Series. In a controversial move, two writers refused to put him on the Rookie of the Year ballot, so he narrowly missed the award. The two writers claimed Matsui was too old to be a rookie.

Matsui was such a hero in Japan that many members, of the Japanese media, followed him to report on his MLB successes. The 2004 season would see Matsui hit .298 with 31 homers, and 108 RBI’s. In just two years Hideki had endeared himself to Yankee fans. In 2005, he would hit a career-high .305 with 116 RBI’s. The following year he would hit .302 with 8 homers, and 29 RBI’s, while missing most of the season due to injury he would receive trying to catch a ball in left field. Matsui signed a $52 million four-year deal, making him the highest-paid Japanese player, surpassing Ichiro Suzuki. The contract would keep Matsui with the Yankees through 2009.

In 2007 he would become the first Japanese player to hit 100 home runs. The run was in the 3rd inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals. He would finish the year with 10 sac flies, 3rd in the majors, he would be 9th in walks per strikeout. He would, on June 12, 2008, hit a Grand Slam on his 34th birthday, something he would repeat in 2009 with a three-run homer. Later in the same year, he would hit a solo walk-off homer giving the Yankees their fourth win in a row after the All-Star break. A month later, he would drive in a career-high seven runs at Fenway Park against the Red Sox, the first to do it since Lou Gehrig in 1930.

Hideki Matsui’s shining moment with the Yankees was yet to come. In the 2009 World Series, he would help the Yankees defeat the defending Champion Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2. He hit .615 in the series with 3 home runs and 8 RBI’s. Hideki Matsui was the first designated hitter to win the World Series MVP award. He batted .615 in the 2009 World Series, helping the New York Yankees to a six-game victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Matsui joined Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth to become the 3rd player to hit above .500 with three home runs in the same series.

In a very controversial move, the Yankee would not renew Masui’s contract and he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hideki felt let down by the Yankees when they couldn’t negotiate a contract. After a year with the Dodgers, he signed a one-year deal with the Athletics where he hit his 2,500th hit as a professional player. The same year he hit his 500th home run against the Detroit Tigers. After 2011 he couldn’t get a major league contract, although he still wanted to play, so he signed a minor league contract at the age of 38 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Matsui always saying he liked the Yankees best, signed a one-day minor league contract with the Yankees in 2013 so that he could retire from baseball as a New York Yankee.

New York Yankees Top 10’s: Is your favorite left-fielder on this list? (video)

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The New York Yankees, in their 109-year glorious history, have had their share of great baseball players.  From Babe Ruth to Joe DiMaggio to Ron Guidry, Derek Jeter, and dozens more, some of the best baseball players in history have graced Yankee Stadium.  I’ve dealt with the pitchers, catchers, baseman, right fielders, and centerfielders in my other top ten columns. Still to come are managers, acquisitions, and top 10 Yankee moments.

In this installment, I will attempt to identify the great Yankee outfielders.  With so many great outfielders, some writers will differ in the order of their preferences.  Here are this writer’s top 10.  Identifying the top 10 is a bit more complicated with left fielders as they tend to play other positions as well.  But here goes:

10.  Yogi Berra

Based on the whole of his New York Yankee career Yogi Berra should be higher on this list.  However, Yogi surprisingly did play in left field for the Yankees.  Although he was known mostly as a catcher, his career batting average of .285 while hitting 358 home runs and 1,430 runs batted in lands him on this list.  Yogi Berra has the distinction of having earned the most World Championship rings (10) than any other Yankee.

9.  Gene Woodling

Gene Woodling played for the New York Yankees (1949–54).  Although he played all over the outfield, he was mostly known for his excellent defense in left field.  He was fast and had a great range.  Woodling played in left field for four Yankee Championship seasons from 1950-1953.  Although he never played more than 125 games in a season, he has kept him on the lower part of the list.  He also was not one of the best Yankee hitters.  One thing that held him down on this list was manager Casey Stengel’s tendency to platoon players.

8.  Tim Raines

Tim Raines was with the Yankees from 1996 to 1999; he played about 50 games a year in the Yankees left field during that span.  He was a great outfielder but what puts him on this list is his Yankee career batting average of .299.  Although he is best known for his 13 years with the Montreal Expos, he was fast and agile footed for the Yankees making many near impossible catches for the Yankees. Raines was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.

7.  Hideki Matsui

Hideki Matsui is the first Yankee that was truly a great left fielder for the New York Yankees.  Matsui was acquired from Japan from NPB’s Yomiuri Giants after playing ten years for them.  Matsui played seven years for the Yankees, five of them in left field before he became a DJ due to injury. In his seven years, he had a career batting average of .292. On May 6, 2007, Matsui recorded his 2,000th hit between the teams.  He had a habit of hitting home runs on his birthday.  On June 12, 2008, he hit a Grand Slam, and on the same day in 2009, he hit a 3 run homer. In the 2009 World Series, “Godzilla” batted .615 with 3 home runs and 8 runners batted in, which earned him the Most Valuable Player Award.

6.  Lou Piniella

Pinella is known as sweet Lou.  He played in the Yankee left field for most of eleven years.  Not many balls got past Piniella; in his Yankee career, he had a .989 fielding percentage. Although Lou was not a home run hitter, he had a career batting average of .291.  He hit 148 doubles while with the Yankees.  Fans immediately embraced him when he came from the Kansas City Royals to the Yankees.  Lou Piniella captured two World Series Rings with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.  Piniella seemed to shine in the postseason.  He batted .305 in postseason play and hit 3 postseason home runs.  Lou would go on to be the New York Yankee manager from 1986 to 1988.

5.  Bob Meusel

Bob Meusel is often an unsung Yankee.  He played for the Yankees for 10 of his 11-year baseball career. He played left field more than any other position, 626 games for the Yankees. But he alternated between left and right, and never actually played 100 games in left in any single season.  Besides his stellar defense, Meusel was known as a hitter. The three-time MVP nominee hit .309 batting for the Yankees.  His best year for the Yankees was 1925, when he hit and unheard of at the time. 33 home runs and had 134 runs batted in. He helped the Yankees to their first-ever World Series Championship and another in 1927 and 1928.

4.  Dave Winfield

The giant of a man Dave Winfield came to the New York Yankees when owner George M. Steinbrenner went out and got him from the free agency from the San Deigo Padres.  Winfield would have a remarkable 22-year career in the majors, nine of them with the Yankees.  The 6′ 6″ left fielder was extremely fast for a big man in the left field at Yankee Stadium.  During his nine years with the Yankees, he batted .290 with 205 home runs.   Unfortunately for Winfield, his time with the Yankees was not always pleasant.  Steinbrenner was dismayed that he gave Winfield such a lucrative contract and withheld payments to his charity that was part of that contract. Winfield never played in a World Series for the Yankees as he played during their 17-year drought. Winfield was installed into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

3.  Roy White

Roy White was one of the best left fielders in all of baseball. White played for the Yankees between 1965 and 1979; his fifteen-year tenure manning left field for the Yankees allowed him to leapfrog a few on this list. He was a two-time All-Star and a four-time MVP candidate. His 1521 games in left field at Yankee Stadium makes him number one in games played in left field.  White has the misfortune to play with some pretty poor Yankee teams during the CBS ownership.  He did win two World Series after Steinbrenner revitalized the team in 1977 and 1978.  Roy was a quiet man and a gentleman who just went about his business with little fanfare.  During his time with the team, he was one of the most popular Yankee players.

2.  Charlie Keller

If I woke up on the other side of the bed today, I might have put Charlie Keller as number one on this list. Charlie Keller played left field for 874 games, scattered over 13 seasons, all with the Yankees.  The sure-footed Keller played excellent defense in left with a .988 fielding percentage while hitting .286 with 189 home runs.  He had constant peak performance throughout his career except for the last two years after returning from back surgery.  Keller was also the second longest-tenured left fielder in Yankee baseball history. He was a five-time All-Star and an MVP candidate four times.  From 1939 to 1952.  One distinction that Charlie has is that he holds eight World Series wins, second only to Yogi Berra. Keller is one of the most overlooked players, not having made the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1.  Babe Ruth

Yes, surprisingly, number one on the list is Babe Ruth. I say surprisingly because he is known more as a right fielder and first baseman.  He was a better hitter than a left fielder.  He had a very satisfactory fielding percentage of .968 but hot as good as a few others on this list.  But his longest tenure than any Yankee on this list and his far and away better hitting ability catapults him to the top of this list.

Babe’s career with the New York Yankees resulted in a batting average of .342 with 659 home runs and just shy of 2,000 runs batted in.  Although Ruth played more games in the right field, he played more seasons in the left field.  From 1914 to 1935, Ruth helped the Yankees to four World Championships.  Babe Ruth is known as the best baseball player ever to play the game was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 as one of the first five inaugural entrants.  Of any Yankee player, Ruth was more than a baseball star; he was a cultural hero during the great depression when the nation needed hope; Ruth provided that hope.

Honorable mentions go to Tom Tresh, Ben Chapman, Willie Cree, Jake Powell, Mickey Mantle, and Ricky Henderson.  Reggie Jackson and Roger Maris never played left field for the Yankees.

In selecting my top ten, I valued time with the club, performance as per Baseball-Reference.com.  Peak career performance and performance in postseason play was also a factor.  Special situations like changing career positions were also a consideration.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam.

New York Yankees Top 10s: A history of great Yankee left-fielders

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Hideki Matsui

The New York Yankees in their 107-year glorious history have had their share of great baseball players.  From Babe Ruth to Joe DiMaggio to Ron Guidry, Derek Jeter, and dozens more, some of the best baseball players in history have graced Yankee Stadium.  In my other top ten columns, I’ve dealt with the pitchers, catchers, baseman, right fielders, and centerfielders.

In this installment, I will attempt to identify the great Yankee outfielders.  With so many great outfielders, some writers will differ with the order of their preferences.  Here are this writer’s top 10.  Identifying the top 10 is a bit more complicated with left fielders as they tend to play other positions as well.  But here goes:

10.  Yogi Berra

Based on the whole of his New York Yankee career Yogi Berra should be higher on this list.  However, Yogi surprisingly did play in left field for the Yankees.  Although he was known mostly as a catcher, his career batting average of .285 while hitting 358 home runs and 1,430 runs batted in, land him on this list.  Yogi Berra has the distinction of having earned the most World Championship rings (10) than any other Yankee.

9.  Gene Woodling

Gene Woodling played for the New York Yankees (1949–54).  Although he played all over the outfield, he was mostly known for his excellent defense in left field.  He was fast and had a great range.  Woodling played in left field for four Yankee Championship seasons from 1950-1953.  Although he never played more than 125 games in a season in left has kept him on the lower part of the list.  He also was not one of the best Yankee hitters.  One thing that held him down on this list was manager Casey Stengel’s tendency to platoon players.

8.  Tim Raines

Tim Raines was with the Yankees from 1996 to 1999, he played about 50 games a year in the Yankees left field during that span.  He was a great outfielder but what puts him on this list is his Yankee career batting average of .299.  Although he is best known for his 13 years with the Montreal Expos, he was fast and agile footed for the Yankees making many near impossible catches for the Yankees. Raines was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.

7.  Hideki Matsui

Hideki Matsui is the first Yankee that was truly a great left fielder for the New York Yankees.  Matsui was acquired from Japan’s for NPB’s Yomiuri Giants after playing ten years for them.  Matsui played seven years for the Yankees five of them in left field before he became a DJ due to injury. In his seven years, he had a career batting average of .292. On May 6, 2007, Matsui recorded his 2,000th hit between the teams.  He had a habit of hitting home runs on his birthday.  On June 12, 2008, he hit a Grand Slam, and on the same day in 2009, he hit a 3 run homer. In the 2009 World Series, “Godzilla” batted .615 with 3 home runs and 8 runners batted in which earned him the Most Valuable Player Award.

6.  Lou Piniella

Pinella known as sweet Lou.  He played in the Yankee left field for most of eleven years.  Not many balls got past Piniella, in his Yankee career he had a .989 fielding percentage. Although Lou was not a home run hitter, he had a career batting average of .291.  He hit 148 doubles while with the Yankees.  Fans immediately embraced him when he came from the Kansas City Royals to the Yankees.  Lou Piniella captured two World Series Rings with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.  Piniella seemed to shine in the postseason.  He batted .305 in postseason play and hit 3 postseason home runs.  Lou would go on to be the New York Yankee manager from 1986 to 1988.

5.  Bob Meusel

Bob Meusel is often an unsung Yankee.  He played for the Yankees for 10 of his 11-year baseball career. He played left field more than any other position, 626 games for the Yankees. But he alternated between left and right, and never actually played 100 games in left in any single season.  Besides his stellar defense, Meusel was known as a hitter. The three-time MVP nominee hit .309 batting for the Yankees.  His best year for the Yankees was 1925 when he hit and unheard of at the time. 33 home runs and had 134 runs batted in. He helped the Yankees to their first-ever World Series Championship and another in 1927 and 1928.

4.  Dave Winfield

The giant of a man Dave Winfield came to the New York Yankees when owner George M. Steinbrenner went out and got him from the free agency from the San Deigo Padres.  Winfield would have a remarkable 22-year career in the majors, nine of them with the Yankees.  The 6′ 6″ left fielder was extremely fast for a big man in the left field at Yankee Stadium.  During his nine years with the Yankees, he batted .290 with 205 home runs.   Unfortunately for Winfield, his time with the Yankees was not always pleasant.  Steinbrenner was dismayed that he gave Winfield such a lucrative contract and withheld payments to his charity that was part of that contract. Winfield never played in a World Series for the Yankees as he played during their 17-year drought. Winfield was installed into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.

3.  Roy White

Roy White was one of the best left fielders in all of baseball. White played for the Yankees between 1965 and 1979, his fifteen-year tenure manning left field for the Yankees allowed him to leapfrog a few on this list. He was a two-time All-Star and a four-time MVP candidate. His 1521 games in left field at Yankee Stadium makes number one in games played in left field.  White has the misfortune to play with some pretty poor Yankee teams during the CBS ownership.  He did win two World Series after Steinbrenner revitalized the team in 1977 and 1978.  Roy was a quiet man and a gentleman who just went about his business with little fanfare.  During his time with the team, he was one of the most popular Yankee players.

2.  Charlie Keller

If I woke up on the other side of the bed today, I might have put Charlie Keller as number one on this list. Charlie Keller played left field for 874 games, scattered over 13 seasons, all with the Yankees.  The sure-footed Keller played excellent defense in left with a .988 fielding percentage while hitting .286 with 189 home runs.  He had constant peak performance throughout his career except for the last two years after returning from back surgery.  Keller was also the second longest-tenured left fielder in Yankee baseball history. He was a five-time All-Star and an MVP candidate four times.  From 1939 to 1952.  One distinction that Charlie has is that he holds eight World Series wins, second only to Yogi Berra. Keller is one of the most overlooked players, not having made the Baseball Hall of Fame.

1.  Babe Ruth

Yes, surprisingly, number one of the list is Babe Ruth. I say surprisingly because he is known more as a right fielder and first baseman.  He was a better hitter than a left fielder.  He had a very satisfactory fielding percentage of .968 but hot as good as a few others on this list.  But his longest tenure than any Yankee on this list and his far and away better hitting ability catapults him to the top of this list.  In Babe’s career with the New York Yankees resulted in a batting average of .342 with 659 home runs and just shy of 2,000 runs batted in.  Although Ruth played more games in the right field, he played more seasons in the left field.  From 1914 to 1935, Ruth helped the Yankees to four World Championships.  Babe Ruth is known as the best baseball player ever to play the game was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936 as one of the first five inaugural entrants.  Of any Yankee player, Ruth was more than a baseball star; he was a cultural hero during the great depression when the nation needed hope, Ruth provided that hope.

Honorable mentions go to Tom Tresh, Ben Chapman, Willie Cree, Jake Powell, Mickey Mantle, and Ricky Henderson.  Reggie Jackson and Roger Maris never played left field for the Yankees.

In selecting my top ten, I valued time with the club, performance as per Baseball-Reference.com.  Peak career performance and performance in postseason play was also a factor.  Special situations like changing career positions were also a consideration.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam

 

New York Yankees Legends: Hideki Matsui, the Yankees’ Godzilla

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Hideki Matsui

Hideki Matsui was a huge star for the New York Yankees and just as big a deal in Japan, even after he became a Yankee. The Japanese media followed him everywhere the Yankees traveled too. During the 2009 World Series, he hit .615 and was named the World Series Most Valuable Player.

Hideki Matsui was born on June 12, 1974, in Nagari, Ishikawa Japan. As a young boy, Hideki would play baseball with his brother and his friends. Hideki was a right-hand hitter, but playing with the older kids, he had one problem, he would hit the ball so well that his embarrassed older Brother demanded that he hit left-handed, or he wouldn’t let him play with them anymore. So, Hideki wanting to play switched to hit left-handed. Little did his brother know but eventually Hideki would hit so well left-handed that forty-four years later, he would be inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

During his high school years, he attended Seiryo High School in Kanazawa. While there, he took part in four national high school tournaments. Due to his hitting ability, in a game in 1992, he was intentionally walked. This was considered to be unsportsmanlike, however, Matsui took it in a stoic like manner, but it did cause his team to lose the game. This would be a trait that would serve Matsui well in his years with the Yomiuri Giants, who would draft him in 1994.

In the professional league Matsui didn’t fair all that well in his first three years, but that would be that last time in pro his career that he would not be a baseball star. His break out season came in 1996 when he batted .314 with 38 home runs, and 99 RBI’s. Matsui would go on to be Japan’s best playing baseball star for the next five years, earning him the nickname “Godzilla”. In 2001 with his contract ended the Yomiuri Giants would offer him a six year contract, valued at $64 million, but Matsui would refuse. Matusi tested the international market and signed with the New York Yankees in December 2002. Matsui being a Japanese sports hero was afforded a fan cheering parade to celebrate the signing into the Major Leagues.

At the Yankee home opener, at Yankee Stadium, Matsui would hit a Grand Slam, the first player ever to hit a Grand Slam in his first appearance. He would go on to hit .287 with 106 RBI’s but he would also commit the highest number of errors (8) in the American League. None-the-less he became a Yankee favorite. In the post season, he became the first Japanese player to ever hit a home run in a World Series. In a controversial move, two writers refused to put him on the Rookie of the Year ballot, so he narrowly missed the award. The two writers claimed Matsui was too old to be a rookie.

Matsui was such a hero in Japan that many members, of the Japanese media, followed him to report on his MLB successes. The 2004 season would see Matsui hit .298 with 31 homers, and 108 RBI’s. In just two years Hideki had endeared himself to Yankee fans. In 2005, he would hit a career high .305 with 116 RBI’s. The following year he would hit .302 with 8 homers, and 29 RBI’s, while missing most of the season due to injury he would receive trying to catch a ball in left field. Matsui signed a $52 million four year deal, making him the highest paid Japanese player, surpassing Ichiro Suzuki. The contract would keep Matsui with the Yankees through 2009.

In 2007 he would become the first Japanese player to hit 100 home runs. The run was in the 3rd inning of a game against the Kansas City Royals. He would finish the year with 10 sac flies, 3rd in the majors, he would be 9th in walks per strike out. He would, on June 12, 2008, hit a Grand Slam on his 34th birthday, something he would repeat in 2009 with a three run homer. Later in the same year, he would hit a solo walk off homer giving the Yankees their fourth win in a row after the All Star break. A month later, he would drive in a career high seven runs at Fenway Park against the Red Sox, the first to do it since Lou Gehrig in 1930.

Hideki Matsui’s shining moment with the Yankees was yet to come. In the 2009 World Series, he would help the Yankees defeat the defending Champion Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2. He hit .615 in the series with 3 home runs and 8 RBI’s. Hideki Matsui was the first designated hitter to win the World Series MVP award. He batted .615 in the 2009 World Series, helping the New York Yankees to a six-game victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Matsui joined Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth to become the 3rd player to hit above .500 with thee home runs in the same series.

In a very controversial move, the Yankee would not renew Masui’s contract and he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hideki felt let down by the Yankees when they couldn’t negotiate a contract. After a year with the Dodgers, he signed a one year deal with the Athletics where he hit his 2,500th hit as a professional player. The same year he hit his 500th home run against the Detroit Tigers. After 2011 he couldn’t get a major league contract, although he still wanted to play, so he signed a minor league contract at the age of 38 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Matsui always saying he liked the Yankees best, signed a one day minor league contract with the Yankees in 2013 so that he could retire from baseball as a New York Yankee.

New York Yankees: The day Hideki Matsui introduced himself to the Bronx

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Hideki Matsui

Many years ago, when the digital scoreboard was in the shape of a baseball diamond, the New York Yankees watched a legend step up to the plate for the first time.

About 17 years ago, the New York Yankees were holding a 3-1 lead over the Minnesota Twins when Japanese-born Hideki Matsui stepped up the plan for the second time wearing pinstripes. At 29-years-old, Matsui had one at-bat to his name, but it was that moment that sparked an illustrious career, highlighted by home runs and incredible plays.

On that day, at that moment, Matsui launched a classic inside changeup over the right-field fence, rounding the bases for the first time. The young outfielder played ten years at the Major League level, never dipping below a .274 batting average with the Yankees. His two All-Star appearances in the first two seasons of his MLB career seem almost to transcend the nature of his career. He was an All-Star just twice over ten years, which is mind-blowing, considering how instrumental he was to the Yankees’ team.

A look back at Matsui’s history:

Having been born on June 6, 1974, Matsui was Japan’s perfect prospect. He began playing baseball at the age of three, following in his father’s footsteps. After years of playing recreationally, he joined his first-team at the age of 10. Having applied all of his focus to the sport, Matsui began to climb the ranks. He was always an incredibly quiet yet hyper-focused athlete, prioritizing improvement, and elevation.

Interestingly, Hideki played at the hot corner as a child, showing off his quick hands and sure-fire glove. He was a natural, as every youth-baseball coach would likely have said.

Considering to be a slugger, Matsui’s style of hitting was unique, pulling the ball in a left stance, a bit similar to Ichiro Suzuki. The Japanese stud found sluggers to be the most intriguing type of hitters, and he managed to replicate their success, posting a career-high 31 homers in 2004. While that might not seem like a lot, baseball back then was a bit different, featuring less juiced baseballs and a more instinctual approach.

Modern times see teams like the Yankees focus on hitting long-balls and slugging, virtually guaranteeing run-production. Nonetheless, Matsui’s career was extraordinary, and he should earn a plack in center field one day.

A Look into Yankees past: Hideki Matsui’s incredible 2009 WS Performance

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Hideki Matsui

In the entire history of the New York Yankees, there has been an absurd number of incredible players, and of course, incredible performances as well. For me, one of the most iconic stretches I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes was that of former Yankee, Hideki Matsui, and the show he put on in the 2009 World Series.

Hideki’s career with New York Yankees

Matsui was signed from Japan in 2003 and ended up suiting up in Pinstripes for seven seasons, and across those seven seasons, he excelled, never posting an OPS under .788 (his lowest, in his rookie year in ’03). He was the epitome of consistency, and was always a very reliable lefty bat and saw time in left field, but primarily at DH. Hideki was a trusted force throughout his entire career with the Yankees and never gave Torre or Girardi any reasons to cap his reps. His attitude and demeanor were always focused on performing to the best of his abilities, and letting his game do the talking. “Godzilla” as he was dubbed, was often soft-spoken, very similar to fellow Japanese star, Ichiro in that fact, and always played the game the way it was meant to be played. However, for this piece specifically, I’d like to talk about his World Series performance vs. the Phillies back in ’09, the one that earned him the WS MVP award.

The Performances before the ’09 World Series

Now before Hideki was able to ‘literally’ tear the cover off the baseball versus Philadelphia, he struggled mightily in the Divisional Series, and also the ALCS. In the ALDS vs. the Minnesota Twins, despite the Yankees making quick work of them and sweeping the Joe Mauer & Justin Morneau led squad in three games, Hideki struggled to connect with the ball at a high rate. However, with that, he did take three walks to pair with a very minimal sample of 9 AB’s across those three games. While he only was able to tally two hits, suitable for a .222 AVG, his OBP sat at .417 — ultimately good for, including SLG%, an OPS of .972. Now, I know many that are reading this are probably saying to themselves, “huh, who in their right mind thinks that an OPS of .972 is not great?! — and to that I say, wait until you see the World Series numbers.

In the ALCS, Hideki took a significant step back from that .972 OPS, as it was a more challenging series vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, that ended up going to six games, with the Yankees prevailing 4-2 in the series. Hideki saw 25 Plate Appearances, and took four walks, but was only able to register one extra-base hit, thus leading to a very underwhelming .670 OPS during that series. For me, Hideki and Andy Pettitte are my two favorite players to ever suit up for the Yankees, so seeing that Hideki seemed to be showing signs of slowing down here & didn’t seem to possess that “pop” he showed during the regular season — 28 HR & an SLG% of .509 — was hard for me. I viewed it as the only natural that the age may have been catching up with him — as the longtime OF’er turned full-time DH was 35 at this point & had just finished playing 143 games — but I was more shocked that it was as if he had just lost the magical touch.

One of the Greatest Performances ever witnessed

All that changed when the games that mattered most were “up to the plate,” and as Hideki notoriously never took any practice swings before his AB’s, he didn’t waste any time making his mark during the World Series. In the World Series, Hideki ended up having a triple slash of .615 / .643 / 1.385 — good for an OPS of 2.027. Now, I understand that it was a small sample size, as it was only again across three games (the NL rule was applied for three, thus taking him out of the LU), and Hideki only saw 14 PAs entirely. However, out of those 14 PA’s he had 8 Hits, 3 HR, and 8 RBI — with SIX of those RBI’s coming in the decisive 7-3 victory in Game 6, in which the Yankees clinched the World Series Championship. He ended up hitting a two-run single in the third, a two-run double in the fifth, and the notorious two-run HR in the second off of Pedro Martinez, after an eight-pitch at-bat — side note, this game would end up being Martinez’s last. In the most important games of the season, NOBODY rose to the occasion to the effect that Matsui did.

For Hideki, it was a dream come true, and he is still the first Japanese born player ever to be given the honors of World Series MVP. He also became the first full-time DH to win the award, and it is absurd that he only played in HALF the games and took home the honor. Hideki was a leader on and off the field, and all the young guys looked up to him, Jeter, A-Rod, and Teixeira in the clubhouse — amongst many others. Godzilla, on having been given the award, said this — through his translator: “Its awesome — unbelievable. I’m surprised myself.” Soft-spoken, and a man of few words, Hideki truly let his play do the talking & when it mattered most.

Matsui cemented himself in Yankees’ history and will always be remembered for his incredibly generous personality and calm demeanor, but also for that game on a cold October night in which he single-handedly drove in six guys, in the 7-3 victory as mentioned earlier, and gave the Yankees WS number 27. Being responsible for 86% of the runs in the clincher isn’t too shabby. Hideki wouldn’t end up returning to the Yankees the following season, but his iconic “Yankee Moment” is one of the best that there has ever been, and ever will be. Godzilla wreaked havoc against the Phillies, and we — as Yankees fans — will never forget that moment.